Predictors of Severe COVID-19 Outcome: A Meta-Analysis of Common Laboratory Biomarkers

COVID-19 is a multisystem sickness caused by the complex interaction of inflammatory, immunological, and coagulative cascade. Risk assessment, choice of appropriate treatments, monitoring, and timely discharge are important aspects of COVID patient management. Along with proper clinical evaluation, laboratory markers can offer extra information that can have a substantial influence on these aspects of patient management. To identify potential markers of COVID-19-related mortality, a meta-analysis of papers concerning C-Reactive Protein (CRP), D-Dimer, Ferritin, Interleukin-6 (IL-6), Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte ratio (N/L ratio), Procalcitonin, and mortality was conducted. D-Dimer and N/L ratio were found to be significantly different between the non-survivor and survivor groups. Overall meta-risk of death associated with the laboratory values was as follows: CRP HR 2.39 (1.05-3.74), D-Dimer HR 1.25 (1.03-2.48), Ferritin HR 3.37 (0.86-5.88), IL-6 HR 3.07 (-1.35-7.49), N/L ratio HR 1.20 (1.14-1.63), and Procalcitonin OR 3.60 (1.60-8.10). More study is needed to determine whether these laboratory biomarkers can be employed in the development of a clinical scoring system to help in patient triage.